The present invention pertains generally to securing a workpiece to a machine member to perform work on the workpiece. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a brake lathe adapter system for securing a brake rotor to a rotatable shaft of a lathe. The present invention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful for contributing to reduction of harmonics and vibrations on a workpiece, improving safety in handling components of the apparatus, and for reducing or eliminating forces that may act on a brake rotor, rotating shaft, and other components of a lathe during operation of a lathe for machining, refinishing, balancing, or resurfacing a brake rotor.
During refinishing or resurfacing of a rotating workpiece mounted on a rotatable shaft, a workpiece and the shaft may be subjected to a variety of forces and phenomena. In general, forces due to rotation and gravity tend to preclude uniform rotation of a rotating shaft and a rotating workpiece in a single, unvarying plane of rotation. If the workpiece is a rotor or drum, such as a brake rotor or brake drum that is mounted on a rotating shaft of a machine such as a lathe, forces acting on the shaft and workpiece during rotation of the shaft and workpiece may distort one or more planes and axes of rotation in connection with the rotor, and to exert a variety of angular and planar forces that may affect how accurately and quickly an operator of the lathe may work on the rotor. Forces and force vectors may cause harmonics and vibrations that may be transmitted to the shaft, rotor and other components of the lathe during rotation. Any nonuniform rotation of a rotor during a refinishing or resurfacing operation may cause a cutting tool brought in contact with a rotor to produce an inferior surface on a working area or surface of a rotor.
As indicated, during operation of a rotatable shaft on a machine for refinishing or resurfacing a rotor, forces including gravity, friction, velocity of rotation, and a variety of load forces may be applied during operation to bearings, driven shafts, turning spindles, retaining devices, locking nuts, and other components of driving machines and driven shafts (collectively, xe2x80x9cmachine membersxe2x80x9d). Similar forces may be induced in a workpiece such as a rotor. For example, circular rotation of shafts may give rise to centripetal force, a force that may be reacted to by centrifugal reaction. Angular velocity and angular acceleration of rotating workpieces subjected not only to varying velocities during operation, but also to differing loads or pressures, also may cause gyroscopic effects on rotating workpieces, such as a rotor, attached to a rotating machine member, such as a shaft, that may turn or rotate over a range of different speeds. Machine members, and workpieces attached to machine members, also maybe subjected to significant loads about the geometric and rotational axes of a rotating workpiece. When two forces act on a rotatable shaft, spindle, pin, axle or similar rod or assembly (collectively, xe2x80x9cshaftxe2x80x9d), a torque may be formed whose vector along an x-axis may produce a rotation about the y-axis known as precession. Such rotation may generate significant angular velocities. All of the foregoing forces, phenomena, torque and related effects (collectively, xe2x80x9cforcesxe2x80x9d) may individually and collectively contribute to causing nonuniform rotation of a workpiece that has been attached to a rotating shaft on a machine such as brake lathe for working on a brake rotor.
In addition to such forces, angular accelerations and velocities may be present in connection with a rotating machine member, leading to unbalanced forces that induce high harmonics, chattering, and vibrations. In some but not all instances, if the speed of rotation of a shaft is slowly increased from rest, a speed may be achieved at which a deflection increases suddenly, a phenomenon known as xe2x80x9cwhirling.xe2x80x9d A shaft that is balanced will rotate around the center of gravity or axis of rotation of a shaft. If a shaft rotates at an angular velocity, however, the shaft may deflect a distance from the center of gravity or axis of rotation due to centripetal reaction. Rotation also may induce undamped free vibrations.
A machine used to refinish or resurface a brake rotor generally includes a driving motor, a driven or turning shaft, one or more retaining devices attached to the shaft for removably mounting a workpiece such as a brake rotor on the one or more retaining devices, and one or more cutting tools that may reciprocally engage a surface of a brake rotor to be machined, refinished or resurfaced. All of the foregoing forces and phenomena, and others, may contribute to nonuniform rotation of the shaft, and consequent nonuniform rotation of a rotor attached to a rotatable shaft. This is particularly true, but not exclusively, in machine members on which brake rotors are mounted for turning purposes, such as refinishing or resurfacing the brake rotor. A cutting tool brought into contact with a rotating rotor may also induce a variety of such forces and phenomena.
A variety of apparatus have been proposed to reduce or eliminate such forces and phenomena, seeking to enable a machine operator, including a brake lathe operator, to more effectively machine, refinish or resurface a rotating workpiece such as a brake rotor. An exemplary device, for example, is disclosed in the copending nonprovisional United States patent application filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Kenneth Turos on Sep. 9, 1999, the same sole inventor named in this application, application Ser. No. 09/394,381. Other apparatus, however, seeking to solve such problems include components that are complex, difficult to assemble, difficult to operate, and comparatively expensive.
The problem solved by copending nonprovisional United States patent application filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Kenneth Turos on Sep. 9, 1999, the same sole inventor named in this application, application Ser. No. 09/394,381, was providing an apparatus for securing a rotatable workpiece on a rotatable machine member, including a brake rotor on a brake rotor lathe, that reduces or substantially eliminates the effect of forces acting and reacting on the rotating workpiece and rotating shaft of the lathe, thus enabling an operator to produce a more accurately and precisely machined, turned and resurfaced brake rotor. It would further enhance the invention disclosed in application Ser. No. 09/394,381 to provide a housing and hub for an apparatus for securing a workpiece to a rotatable machine member that contributes to reduction of harmonics and vibrations on a workpiece, improves safety in handling components of the apparatus, and further contributes to reducing or eliminating forces that may act on a brake rotor, rotating shaft, and other components of a lathe during operation of a lathe for machining, refinishing, balancing, or resurfacing a brake rotor.
One of the advantages of the novel housing and hub for an apparatus for securing a rotor to a rotatable shaft, according to the present invention, is an apparatus allows an operator of a lathe to produce a more accurately and precisely machined, turned and resurfaced brake rotor. Another advantage of the present invention is the ability of the apparatus to reduce or eliminate forces that otherwise tend to act and react on a rotating shaft and a rotating rotor during operation of a machine such as a lathe. The present invention also has the significant advantages of being simple to install and reposition, yet enhances safety in gripping and handling the housing and hub components. In addition, the present invention further reduces harmonics and vibrations on a workpiece.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for securing a workpiece to a rotating machine member that may be easily and efficiently manufactured, yet is durable and of reliable construction. An even further advantage of the present invention is providing low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor. The present invention is respectively easy to use and to practice, and cost effective for its intended purposes.
These advantages and other objects and features of such an apparatus for will become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the accompanying following description, drawing figures, and appended claims.
A housing and hub for an apparatus for securing a workpiece to a machine member, according to the present invention, includes a drum. The drum is slidably engageable on the machine member. The machine member may be a rotatable driven shaft of the machine, conventionally cylindrical in shape, but may be of any shape. The drum is formed with a chamber. In addition, a hole is formed in the drum through which the rotatable driven shaft may be inserted for installing the drum on the shaft. The hole is substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis of the drum. A groove is formed in the chamber of the drum. A ring is insertable into the groove. The drum also is formed with an external surface. A channel girding the drum is formed in the external surface of the drum. An elastomeric material is insertable into the channel.
A body that also is positionable on the machine member, such as a rotatable driven shaft, is provided. The body is formed substantially in the shape of a truncated cone. The body includes a passage formed in the body. The passage is substantially coincident with a longitudinal axis through the body. In operation, the passage forms substantially a slip fit with the machine member. As previously indicated, the present invention includes a ring. When inserted into the groove formed in the chamber of the drum, the ring assists in retaining the body in the chamber of the drum during operation of the apparatus.
A housing and hub for an apparatus for securing a workpiece on a machine member also includes means for centering a workpiece on the shaft substantially along the longitudinal axis of the shaft during operation of the machine and apparatus. The means may be a spring, one end of which may be inserted into the drum, the other end of which may be connected to the body.
Also included is a housing. The housing is formed with a cavity. The cavity is shaped to receive a portion of the body, and may be shaped substantially identical to the body. The housing has a duct through the housing. The duct is shaped to allow the housing to be slidably moveable on the machine member. The housing is also formed with an external face. A channel girding the housing is formed in the external face of the housing. An elastomeric material is insertable into the channel.
In an application of the present invention to a brake lathe for machining, refinishing, balancing, or resurfacing a brake rotor, the present invention provides an adapter system for securing a rotor to a lathe. An adapter system for securing a rotor to a lathe includes a hub. The hub is slidably engageable with a rotatable driven shaft of the lathe. The hub is formed with a chamber. The chamber has an interior face, exterior face, a rim, an inner surface, and a hole. The hole is dimensioned to be substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis of the hub between the interior face and the exterior face of the hub. The hole also is dimensionally shaped to slide on and engage the rotatable shaft of the lathe. The hub is formed with a substantially circumferential groove in the inner surface of the chamber. The groove is shaped to hold a ring that also is provided in the present invention. The ring is formed with a first end, a second end, and a gap between the first end and the second end. When inserted into the groove formed in the chamber of the hub, the ring assists in retaining the centering device, described below, within the chamber during operation of the machine and apparatus. The hub also is formed with an external surface. A channel girding the hub is formed in the external surface of the hub. An elastomeric material is insertable into the channel.
An adapter system for securing a rotor to a lathe, according to the present invention, also includes a centering device. The centering device is positionable on the rotatable shaft. The centering device is shaped substantially like a truncated cone. The centering device is formed with a top plane, a bottom plane, a cone surface, and a collar. The collar tapers from the base of the truncated cone to the bottom plane, and is substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis through the center of the top plane and the bottom plane. The bottom plane is also formed with a slot. The slot is substantially circumferential.
Also included in the present invention is a spring. The spring has a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end of the spring may be inserted into the hub. The proximal end of the spring may be connected to the centering device. The spring may be connected to the centering device by inserting the proximal end of the spring in the slot formed in the bottom plane of the centering device. The spring contributes to centering a workpiece such as a rotor on the shaft of the lathe.
The present invention also includes a housing. The housing is formed with a cavity. The cavity is shaped for receiving the centering device. The cavity has an inner anterior face, an inner side, an exterior wall, and an outer posterior plate. The inner side of the cavity is formed in the shape of a cone substantially identical dimensionally to the cone surface of the centering device. A duct is formed in the cavity of the housing. The duct is substantially coincident with the longitudinal axis of the rotatable driven shaft between the inner anterior face and the outer posterior plate. The housing is also formed with an external face. A channel girding the housing is formed in the external face of the housing. An elastomeric material is insertable into the channel.
When installed on a shaft of a lathe, the hub, centering device, spring, retaining ring, and housing are held in position during operation of the lathe and apparatus by a locking nut.
The foregoing has outlined broadly the more important features of the invention to better understand the detailed description which follows, and to better understand the contribution of the present invention to the art. Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in application to the details of construction, and to the arrangements of the components, provided in the following description or drawing figures. The invention is capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology employed in this disclosure are for purpose of description, and should not be regarded as limiting.
As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the conception on which this disclosure is based readily may be used as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the purposes of the present invention. The claims, therefore, include such equivalent constructions to the extent the equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, the abstract associated with this disclosure is neither intended to define the invention, which is measured by the claims, nor intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
The novel features of this invention, and the invention itself, both as to structure and operation, are best understood from the accompanying drawing, considered in connection with the accompanying description of the drawing, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which: